The bot that bit back: AI agents, defamation and the digital construction of identity

Three years ago, we wrote a research proposal around a legal question: Can a bot insult a human? Back then, it felt rather hypothetical. Today, it has become reality. In February 2026 an AI agent autonomously submits code to an open-source software project, gets rejected, and publishes a personalised smear piece about the developer who blocked it. This curious case shows that autonomous systems can now spread information strategically, targeting individuals to get what they want. It raises urgent questions that law and regulation are only beginning to grapple with: who is responsible when an AI agent attacks someone's reputation, and how do we protect people from harm that spreads and permanently embeds itself in the digital record